To Remember
by JesseLou
Summary: Lillian Trace was an unlucky Orphan, or so she thought. After receiving a letter after her 16th birthday, her life changes for the better... or does it?


**A/n: Hey! I'm finally back after two years. I'm sorry I've been so long. I have no valid excuse, minus the one about me spending too much time studying.**

**But, I am back and that's all that matters, right? :)**

**I hope you enjoy this new piece of mine (I'm merging it with a novel I'm writing, for inspiration). **

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling, so I do not own Harry Potter. I do, however, own the plot, Lily and Maggie.  
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Chapter One: A New Beginning

When everything is said and done, what do we expect at the end? A clap on the back? A hug? A song and a dance? The party of all parties? No. Nothing happens. We all drift away, soon forgetting who we once were, how close we had once been. The memories we created become locked in the small, isolated part of our minds we didn't know was there. We all hope to remember, that the other would be the first to say 'hello' when we pass in the street, but that day never came. We all separated, only our memories knowing of the mayhem we once caused.

I barely remember, myself. I barely remember my real parents, my true friends, and the reason why I was pulled from my perfect life.

I was four when it all happened. At least, I think I was four. My memory of it was blurry; I was outside playing in the small sand pit my father created for me in our large back garden. My mother sat on a swinging bench by the porch, reading one of her grown up magazines. My father was at work for the year. He taught at a boarding school, I think. I rarely saw him much, but whenever we were together, we were as close as a father and daughter could be. My mother and I were just as close, but I was, well and truly, Daddy's Little Girl.

The sun was high in the October sky, or was it September? It wasn't that cold, but it wasn't too warm, either. There were a few grey clouds around, threatening to pour rain over the picturesque scene playing in my garden, but the rain never came. My mother disappeared into the house for one reason or another. That's when it happened.

Right from the sand pit where I played happily, squashing sand into a pink sandcastle shaped bucket with a plastic green spade (Or was it the green bucket and pink spade?), the light was taken from the sky. The colour was taken from the flowers that were in bloom around me. My house disappeared as darkness fell into my vision. I remember screaming out for my mummy, warm tears running down my pale, scared face. I fought and tried to squirm my way out of my kidnapper's arms, but to no avail. I soon fell asleep once my mind decided it was too tired from all the screaming, crying and fidgeting.

When I awoke, I couldn't remember much about my family. My parents were a mystery to me. My early childhood had been stolen from me and replaced with another, one that wasn't as happy and carefree. I was moved around from care home to care home, foster family to foster family. I didn't have a real friend. The only friend I had was younger than me by five years. She moved when I did; for some reason, she didn't like being away from me since the second she arrived at my last care home. Whenever I was given to a new foster family, she would have these terrible tantrums until she was at my side. Of course, this caused me to not live with a foster family for longer than a month. There was something about having a 7 year old and a 2 year old at the same time that put most adults off.

It didn't bother me. I knew that I would soon be old enough to legally live on my own. Each day, I counted down to each birthday, knowing I was one year closer to becoming 18 and free from the life I was forced to live. Of course, I would have my friend with me. She was practically my sister now. I thought of adopting her as my sibling once I was old enough, but something stopped me from thinking it as soon as I started. Somehow, I knew that we wouldn't need to adopt each other so we could stay together.

And then it came. The freedom I had hoped for finally came in the form of a small barn owl. This wouldn't be so weird if it wasn't for the owl tapping on my small bedroom window at 8 o'clock in the morning with two heavy letters tied to its poor little leg.

Alarm bells would be ringing by now for someone who saw an owl out in the morning, acting like the postman. They weren't ringing for me. Somewhere deep down in a secluded part of my memory, I knew that this wasn't as odd as it seems to be.

I shook my head lightly, riding myself of these thoughts as I opened the loud, creaky window. I hoped it wouldn't creak. If anyone heard me, they would wonder what the heck I was doing opening the window for a strange owl. An owl that was supposed to be sleeping, not delivering letters.

As I took the two envelopes from the small bird, it waited patiently. I stared at it for a second before I noticed it eyeing the crust of Angele's sandwich from the last night. With a faint smile, I gave it the wholemeal crusts, being careful that my fingers weren't part of the meal. The owl soon took off into the morning sun, probably to retrieve more letters to post.

I stared at the two letters as I sat down on the hard mattress I called a bed. I set one letter on the bed beside me before opening the letter addressed to me.

_Miss Lillian Rose Trace_

_Attic Bedroom_

_Elstreen Orphanage_

_Buckingham_

_Buckinghamshire _

I couldn't help but cringe at the use of my first name. Everyone knew to either call me Rose or Lily. Lillian was _not_ used, unless someone wanted to be severely hurt. I couldn't help but recognise the midnight blue ink used to write my current address. The use of "_Attic Bedroom_" certainly peaks my interest of reading the heavy letter that lies inside the old envelope.

With the smallest sigh I could muster, I flipped over the letter and froze at the wax stamp sealing the letter closed. The stamp had a single 'M' in the middle, surrounded by 'Ministry of Magic'. Odd. I had seen the stamp somewhere before, but I don't know why, when or where. I shook my head lightly as I read the letter.

_Dear Miss Trace,_

_It is my greatest regret to tell you that as you have not replied to our previous owls, or attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry over the past five years, the Ministry of Magic has to declare you a squib. Of course, as your 6__th__ Year should begin this September, you can still have time to regain your rightful status as Witch, but it comes at a small price. _

_As well as not only being five years behind your students, you must study everything you should already know and take your O.W.L.s before the school year is up. You will, of course, be assigned to a teacher and student tutor to help you learn quicker and fully understand what it is you are learning. _

_This could all have been avoided if you refused to be found. It is lucky that your invisibility charm had worn off on your 16__th__ Birthday, or you would not be receiving this letter until it is too late._

_Please meet me at the Department of Education in the Ministry Of Magic on August 1__st__ at 11 am so we can sort everything out for you. _

_I hope to meet you soon,_

_Aleina Middle_

_Department of Education. _

I stared at the letter. This is a joke, right? The owl thing, I could look past, but this? This was a joke, something that someone spend days thinking of. Someone clearly had too much time on their hands.

Still, I couldn't help but feel like this was real. I wanted to go to this meeting and find out what this all meant. There was one small flaw, however; I had no idea where this Ministry Of Magic was.

_I suppose I could google it later_, I thought to myself as I put the letter back in the envelope and set it beside the other letter. This second envelope was the same to the one I received, minus a few differences; The ink was emerald green instead of midnight blue; the wax stamp on the back was a 'H' surrounded by a badger, a snake, a raven and a lion, instead of an 'M'; and the letter was addressed to '_Miss Magnolia Robyn Stewart_' instead of me.

When I saw Maggie's name written on the envelope, my blood turned cold. Whatever I was involved in, it was clear that Maggie was involved, too. This... thing, prank or not, wasn't good for us. We had spent years together, and now we were, what? Being separated by this thing?

"What's wrong?" I put Maggie's letter down as I heard her soft voice from beside me. I gave the eleven year old a soft smile

"Nothing. I just got these letters and I'm not sure whether to believe them or not." I handed out her letter once she gave me a curious look, "You got one, too."

Cautiously, she took it, bewildered at the fact that she had a letter. She didn't read the address on the front, nor did she pay attention to the wax seal as she ripped the envelope open. I watched as her eyes darted back and forth, reading the letter that made her more confused as she read on.

She looked up at me, her eyes wide with confusion and hope. "Rosie... what's Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"

My heart soared. It looks like we wouldn't be separating after all.


End file.
